A couple of years ago I received a coupon in the mail for a free box of Smucker's Uncrustables. For those you who don't know what those are, they are pre-made peanut butter & jelly sandwiches with the crusts cut off, hence the name. These sandwiches were of course a huge hit by the kids, but at over $3 for a box of four tiny PB&J sandwiches is way overpriced if you ask me. Fred Meyer often has them priced at $2 a box and if I can combine a $1 off coupon with that, I will splurge for this treat.
In comes Pampered Chef. I am a big fan of Pampered Chef products as I have blogged about before. No, I don't sell them, but I use them like crazy. I came to discover that Pampered Chef has a product called the Cut-N-Seal that makes sandwiches just like Uncrustables for just $9. Sold!
My kids have lovingly named this tool The Masher Dasher and will no longer have their sandwiches any other way. The tool is a little tricky to use at first only because the outside rim is not sharp, which is actually a plus since my kids use it too. I have learned to smash down on the sandwich to seal it and then roll the tool along it's edge to cut around it. Very easy once you get the hang of it.
What I truly love about this tool is that I can use the ingredients that I choose to make the sandwich, like wheat bread, real peanut butter without all the nasty trans-fats and my homemade jam. And it comes out to about a dime a piece. And it turns out that our dog really likes bread crusts. A win/win if you ask me!